Sunday, March 12, 2017

The
Lost Holocron; a first of its kind, all-original Star Wars Hip Hop album.

That
is the tagline I’ve been using to briefly summarize my album, The Lost
Holocron. Two of my biggest passions in life are Hip Hop and Star Wars. Thus,
it only seemed natural that I embarked on developing a project like this. The
album blends rhymes and beats with Star Wars stories, topics, characters, and
the music of legendary composer, John Williams, to create a truly unique
journey through the Star Wars universe. Throughout the years, various artists
have released; re-makes of popular songs using Star Wars-based lyrics or themes,
Star Wars parody songs, Star Wars-themed “gangsta rap” songs/parodies, original
compositions with loose Star Wars themes, and countless songs with Star Wars
lines or references. And there are even cover bands with Star Wars-themed names
and image. By no means am I downplaying any of those artists, songs or projects
(I am a fan of a lot of it), when I say that The Lost Holocron is none of those
things. There are no gimmicks or parodying with The Lost Holocron. It is one
hundred percent Star Wars, non-canon of course, delivered in pure Hip Hop form.
And just like the Star Wars movies, TV shows and novels, the songs on The Lost
Holocron consist of action, drama, love, excitement, and that little splash of
comedy. Coupled with my writing style, and my knowledge and passion for the
franchise (pre-Disney of course), The Lost Holocron carves its own hyperspace
lane through our favorite galaxy far, far away.

The
idea for this album came to me, with the force of a Wookiee’s punch, in the
summer of 2008. While I was dumbfounded the notion hadn’t struck me sooner, I
was instantly inspired. Within days I had the concept outlined, the album
title, a plan for the format, a long list of song ideas and titles, and had
even started writing. The album title, The Lost Holocron, holds a ton of
significance. My full-time performing and touring days were essentially over,
thus not regularly performing in front of new crowds, or famous in any regard,
was going to severely limit the audience of the album. And generally speaking,
many die-hard Star Wars fans tend not to be hard core Hip Hop fans (oddly, many
Hip Hoppers are Star Wars fans, just not necessarily in the “die-hard” realm).
So right from the beginning I felt of the album as this sort of undiscovered “lost”
gem and resource. Something that people didn’t know existed, but once they
learned of its existence, would yearn to unlock the secrets inside. Also, this
album was going to be my personal contribution to the Star Wars universe. Yes,
I have my years of work in, with and for the 501st Legion, and that
means a lot to me. But there I am playing my part on a large team for a greater
purpose. And while I do take great pride in that, it does not fulfill me need
for an individual legacy within Star Wars. I’ll never be in a movie, probably
won’t ever voice a character, I may still make a post-Disney attempt at getting
a book published, and given my stance on what Disney did to Star Wars, will
almost certainly never work for Lucasfilm (sadly). Thus, this album, The Lost
Holocron, is my time capsule for Star Wars fans present and future, my addition
to the ongoing saga.

Despite
my initial inspiration and excitement, nothing other than some writing happened
for two years. In August of 2010 I was down in Orlando for Star Wars
Celebration V. I had been asked to do an interview for a Star Wars documentary.
While talking to the director and crew, it came up that I rapped, so they asked
if I would do a little something for the film. So I spit a verse I had written
for The Lost Holocron and then threw in a little freestyle about Celebration. I
never did hear what became of the film…? Coincidentally, that same month my
group, Manifesters, had a little resurgence and began putting out new music
again. The combination of those two events then began the process of getting
The Lost Holocron off the ground.

The
format of The Lost Holocron is extremely unique compared to my other Versifier
and Manifesters’ projects. All songs are written and performed by me, and are
produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by my long-time producer, friend and
collaborator, Big Jess. The production of each song is done using one song off
the Star Wars soundtrack from the original trilogy, prequel trilogy, and The
Clone Wars movie (so technically not all John Williams due to The Clone Wars).
So the ratio is always one to one. I take a track from one of the seven
soundtracks and highlight certain parts for Jess. Jess then takes the
soundtrack track and my notes, works his brilliant magic, and produces a Star
Wars re-imagined Hip Hop beat. All songs are then written once the beat is
complete, however for many of them, the concept and title are already in place
first. Audio clips and sound effects from the movies are then added to heighten
the experience. Instead of releasing The Lost Holocron as a one-time complete
album, it is released in waves of three songs per wave, similar to how Hasbro
Toys releases Star Wars action figures in waves. This allows for the album to
be an on-going and continuously growing body of work, just as the saga and
stories of Star Wars has continued to grow and expand over the past forty
years.

The
initial plan was to have each wave of The Lost Holocron include three songs and
one music video, and to release three waves per year. This proved to be a very
non-realistic schedule. First and foremost, both Big Jess and I have multiple
facets to our lives, respectively, both in and outside of music. So time was
definitely a factor. Secondly, unlike all the other music I create, I cannot
sell, or make any money in any form from, the music on The Lost Holocron. The
Lost Holocron is essentially non-licensed Star Wars fan fiction. The soundtrack
samples, movie clips, sound effects, and images are all trademarks and copy
written material of Lucasfilm. Thus, to avoid breaking the law and a Lucasfilm
lawsuit, and out of respect, all songs and videos from The Lost Holocron are
entirely free to stream, download and watch. I sell nothing and collect
nothing. On the flip side however, I do have to personally fund the project.
Beats, studio time, mixing and mastering, directors, and music videos all have
a price tag. So funding for this project always has to be in balance with
funding for other projects I am working on. On a side note; I did inform
Lucasfilm of The Lost Holocron, and they were supportive of the project and the
parameters. Unfortunately, because it is un-licensed, they cannot endorse,
promote or use the album in any capacity.

The
Lost Holocron has the potential to appeal to Star Wars fans, Hip Hop fans, and
music lovers across the globe. Like the Star Wars movies, I keep everything in
the PG to PG-13 range. While none of the songs have curse words or anything
blatantly offensive, a few songs do contain some adult content. The album is
definitely geared towards adults, but is generally family friendly. The music
is free and easily accessible. My hope, above all else, is simply that people
enjoy it and share it with others who may enjoy it as well. I have had, and
will continue to have, fun making the songs. So if nothing comes of it, I won’t
be disappointed. Obviously though, if opportunities arise because of it, I will
welcome them. I may have started “Star Wars Hip Hop”, but the torch will always
be there, burning brightly, if/when another emcee decides to pick it up and run
with it.

The Lost
Holocron – Wave 1

Released:
April 22, 2014

1.1
Move Along: Move
Along is
an up-beat track that puts a fun, spirited feel and twist on the events in Mos
Eisely on Tatooine in Star Wars Episode IV. The song features guest vocals by
Denver-based singer/song writer Fatima Lily. Thus far, this track has clearly
been the fan favorite. I was even asked to perform this song live at the second
annual Central Garrison (of the 501st Legion) Banquet in Des Moines,
IA in August of 2014. The music video for Move
Along was scheduled to shoot this past October. However, due to military
obligations of the director, we were forced to cancel last minute. The hope is
to re-schedule once this Minnesota winter ends. This video has a cast of almost
thirty, so coordination is tricky…

1.2
Alone: Alone
explores
the emotional and social isolation of the Jedi and the Sith from the rest of
the galaxy. Their respective use of The Force, their power, and their influence
on galactic events sets them apart and above the ordinary being. However, it’s
also what denies them the common joys and acceptance of life. Alone features
a guest appearance from Twin Cities Hip Hop emcee, Ernie Rhodes. In the song,
Ernie Rhodes plays the role of the Jedi, and I play the role of the Sith.

1.3
Ahsoka: Ahsoka
is
my ode to Ahsoka Tano from The Clone Wars. The music video for Ahsoka is a compilation of Ahsoka
images, which follows her existence from her debut in The Clone Wars movie to
her leaving the Jedi Order at the end of Season 5 of The Clone Wars.

The Lost
Holocron – Wave 2

Released:
March 13, 2017

2.1 Duel of the
Fates:Duel of the Fates is an aggressive
track about the heat of battle, the balance of power, and the inevitable
outcome of victory or defeat. As the title suggests, it uses the Obi-Wan and
Qui-Gon vs. Darth Maul scene at the end of Episode I as a major theme
component. It has a battle rap feel to it and is very pro-Sith.

2.2 Lack of
Faith:Lack of Faith is a light-spirited
look at the galaxy divided up by Force-users and those who don’t believe. Lack of Faith features a guest
appearance from Twin Cities Hip Hop emcee and pioneer, Dispute One.

2.3 Whip Your
Lekku:
Fictionally speaking, I refer to Whip
Your Lekku as a “Coruscant club banger and Nal Hutta favorite”. It’s a
sexually charged track about Twi’lek and Togruta dancers and escorts using
their lekku for a little extra entertainment while dancing or in the bedroom. There
may be a music video for this song somewhere down the line.

The Dark Side

The Dark Side single and
music video are kind of like the precursor to The Lost Holocron. The song is
over a non-Star Wars-themed beat produced by my brother, Online, and the
content is more real life with a Star Wars theme. Thus, it didn’t fit the
formula for The Lost Holocron. But I still dug the track and decided to go all
out for the music video. The video is directed by Dan Delano, the director of my
Whiskey Tears music video, and is the
first music video in which I solely wrote the screenplay. The video features an
all-star cast consisting of actress, model and TV host Meisha Johnson, newcomers
Priscilla Lovas and Jenny Andrews, members of the 501st Legion Central
Garrison, and members of the Rebel Legion Central Base. Cameos in the video
include New York Times best-selling Star Wars authors Troy Denning and Daniel
Wallace, Lucasfilm artist Grant Gould, Star Wars artist Kevin Doyle, and Twin
Cities Hip Hop artists Big Jess, NiiBox and Online of Manifesters, and Hypnose
and Master Wong of Cypha Squad.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Today
is Anakin’s seventh birthday! It will be my wife and I’s fourth birthday with
him, as we adopted Anakin in March of 2013, about three weeks after his third
birthday. While Anakin is undoubtedly amongst the most spoiled dogs on the
planet on a daily basis, we tend to take that up a notch on his birthday. Over
the past three years we’ve formed a tradition of getting Anakin this gigantic,
homemade birthday bone treat (from the store attached to a local kennel north
of the Twin Cities). It even has a built-in spot for a candle… Then we always do
a photoshoot, either at home or out at various locations. For Anakin’s fifth
birthday we drove around the Twin Cities taking photos of Anakin next to any
signs, businesses, etc. with a “Five”, “5”, or “V” on them. And of course, we
make sure to get in all of his favorite activities; a walk, playing catch,
wrestling, belly rubs and massages, a car ride, and treats.

This
past Saturday we drove up to the kennel to get his bone, only to find they did
not have any made this year. So unfortunately, after an exhaustive Google
search which yielded zero results, we had to settle for some new treats. Obviously
Anakin could care less as they all taste delicious to him, but it was a little
disappointing to my wife and I. Meh, what do you do? For the photoshoot, my
wife had the idea to buy a kids’ Star Wars t-shirt for him, as we can never
find dog-wear we like. Quick sidebar; for
the record, other than photoshoots (or functional for extreme weather), we’re
not fans of dressing up Anakin. The ironic thing is that Anakin doesn’t like
wearing stuff, so he rarely looks happy in the photos. We found a shirt at
Target with Darth Vader walking three AT-ATs on leashes. Absolutely perfect! It
won’t happen today, but eventually I want to get a photo of me, in my
Stormtrooper armor, with Anakin on a leash, wearing the shirt of Vader with
AT-ATs on a leash. That’ll be dope!

My
wife and I are not having children, so spoiling our dog-child is simply the
natural order of life. To say Anakin is a major part of our lives would be a
huge understatement. The “man’s best friend” cliché is spot on in my case. The
joy we bring to each other’s existence forms a perfect symbiont circle.

To
see more Anakin photos than you’d know what to do with, visit his Twitter and
Instagram pages. Yes, I started and run a Twitter account and Instagram account
for Anakin.

Twitter
– @AnakinFessler

Instagram
– anakintheblacklab

And
for more Anakin photos, plus countless selfies of he and I, check out my
Twitter and Instagram pages:

Thursday, March 2, 2017

It
appears I have a propensity for creating Ahsoka Tano related holidays and
celebrations. I did not create the hashtag #TanoTuesday, but I was the first to
turn Tano Tuesday into a weekly celebration. Next came my daily installment, #AhsokasDailyHoloImage,
followed by the annual holiday, Ahsoka Tano Day (#AhsokaTanoDay), on January 29th.
Then there’s my collection of weekly themed celebrations; #AhsokaArtWeek,
#AhsokaToyWeek, #AhsokaLooksWeek, and the most recent, #AhsokasDailyHoloImage
Fan’s Choice Week. And now, today (March 2nd), marks the first
annual Ahsoka Fans Day (#AhsokaFansDay).

Unlike
all of my previous holidays/celebrations, which mainly focus on celebrating the
character of Ahsoka Tano, Ahsoka Fans Day is simply for fans of Ahsoka to
celebrate their fandom. There is a seemingly endless list of way in which
Ahsoka has touched people’s lives, brought them countless moments of happiness,
or inspired them on a personal and/or creative level. For many a man, woman and
child, Ahsoka has been a rich and important part of life over the past nine
(plus) years. There is an uncanny allure and appeal to Ahsoka that is truly
infectious, and the magnitude at which fans gravitate towards her utterly
remarkable. Ahsoka fans have a deep, palpable passion that leaps out in so many
forms. It’s amazing to watch. Thus, it is my hope that Ahsoka Fans Day will
become an on-going, annual tradition of taking a day out to fully submerge in
our own Ahsoka fandom, while simultaneously connecting and sharing with Ahsoka
fans across the globe.

The
significance of March 2nd lies in the two Coruscant-shattering
events that took place on this date. On March 2, 2013, The Clone Wars fifth
season came to an end with the airing of episode 5.20, “The Wrong Jedi”. The
episode ends with Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order and walking away from Anakin.
It was also Ahsoka’s last “official” appearance on The Clone Wars [I say “official”, as she did appear in
Yoda’s Force vision during the 6.12 “Destiny” episode in 2014.] The
devastation, anguish and anger poured out of Ahsoka fans all over the world. A
piece of our hearts had been torn away from us. Two years later, on March 2,
2015 (after a few voice and hooded hologram teasers), Ahsoka “officially”
returns on the 1.13 “Fire Across The Galaxy” episode of Rebels. It wasn’t the
Ahsoka (look or story), fans were expecting, but Ahsoka was back, and fans were
given a second chance. The impact and emotional potency of these two events was
insane. From the soul-crushing lows, to the elated tear-soaked highs, and
everything in between, it was intense. Need proof? Go watch the YouTube videos
people posted during those two nights and the days after each. March 2nd
had become a date that had highlighted that palpable passion for Ahsoka I spoke
of earlier. It was Ahsoka fandom in its purest form, just that raw,
unrestrained love and inspiration. The perfect day to transform into a
celebration of fans being fans. So last year (2016), on March 2nd, I
Tweeted out that March 2nd will now be known as Ahsoka Fans Day, and
that the first annual Ahsoka Fans Day will be in 2017, which is today.

Everyone
is a fan for different reasons, and everyone’s fandom manifests itself in
different ways. Ahsoka Fans Day is meant to recognize and honor all types,
varieties and levels of Ahsoka Tano fans, their fandom, and what it means to
them.

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

I
often marvel at all that has transpired with Manifesters over the years. That
little crew an insanely headstrong nineteen year old me started, smack dab in
the middle of the most exciting two years of my life, with nothing more than a
drive to be a part of Hip Hop music. And the ride has been a crazy one; full of
successes and failures, highs and lows, and a plethora of things in between.
Above all though, it’s been a defining factor of who, and what, I am for
eighteen years now.

I’ve
written numerous, short “History of Manifesters” pieces in the past, and I will
have an extremely comprehensive one ready for the 20th anniversary
in 2019. But for anyone reading this that is not familiar with our story,
please visit www.manifesters.com and click on
bio for a brief rundown.

Manifesters
has been many things throughout the years; from our humble beginning as two
emcees and a DJ, to four members with a live band, to the wildly diverse trio
of NiiBox, Online and I, and more. Essentially, we’ve had ten different rosters
throughout the years, with myself as the only constant. However, all of the
roster changes occurred from 2000 to the end of 2003. From the start of 2004 to
now, it has remained NiiBox, Online and I. March of 1999 to September of 2006
was an absolute, non-stop whirlwind. And it was a blast! I will be eternally
thankful for the opportunities we had, the things we did, the people we met and
worked with, the places we went, and everything we were able to experience
during that time period. We worked incredibly hard and pushed the envelope as
artists and performers. We never made a career out it, but then again, we never
really set out to do so. We worked full time and were full time college
students in addition to being full time musicians. In hind sight, there are
definitely things we could have done more strategically. And our formula in
certain areas could have been shifted to better align with a different set of
goals. But by the same token, the overall experience we did have will always be
categorized as a positive and successful one. I know it sounds cliché, but I
wouldn’t change it.

Of
course, I still do what many emcees do though; look at famous cats and think,
“man, I’m so much doper than that dude”. The difference is that I no longer
have a longing to be a famous rapper. I’m thirty seven years old, married and
have a great career. By 10:00pm on a work night, I want to be on the couch with
my wife and dog, not just leaving the house to go perform. I still have a
passion for writing and recording music, and thanks to some great producers who
continue to supply me with beats and access to the studio (and my home studio
for pre-production work), I can continue to explore that passion. Sure, without
performing and touring, the Versifier/Manifesters fan base is non-existent and
releasing music which no one is checking for yields extremely little in terms
of streams and downloads, but who cares? I’m completely comfortable being a
“hobby emcee”, in that while I’ll be Hip Hop and an emcee for life, the music
aspect is not that of a career or a job, but simply a hobby. While Online will
always be listed as the third current member of Manifesters, his only role (by
choice), since 2009 has been webmaster for the Manifesters’ and Versifier
websites. NiiBox on the other hand is, has been, and always will be, a career
musician, regardless of Manifesters and/or anything Hip Hop related. NiiBox
currently gigs 3-7 times a week with a collection of groups/bands in a wide
spectrum of styles; ranging from rock, to funk, to R&B and soul, to
traditional African ensembles, to jazz, to spoken word. He plays a plethora of
different instruments, sings, dances, writes, produces, composes and arranges,
conducts, choreographs, beatboxes, hots, etc., etc., etc. Oh, and he still
spits some verses on songs with me.

With
all that being said, Manifesters is, and will always be, a living entity of our
creativity and personality, with a rich history that grows with each passing
year. Just because we aren’t performing now doesn’t mean you won’t ever see
Manifesters rock a stage again. And in terms of new music, let’s just say there
is plenty of that left to come…! And two years from today, on our 20th
Anniversary, we’ll really celebrate!

So
here’s to eighteen years of Manifest Life!

Shout
and thanks to my Manifesters Family:

NiiBox

Online

DJ
Slow Motion

Mesia

Don’t
Sleep

The
Manifest Band (Garrett “Entity” Neal, Todd Brown and Jake Price)

Big
Jess

Master
Wong

Hypnose

Cypha
Squad

Prolific
Concepts

Oxcyde

16th
Anniversary of Beneath The Cover

My
Beneath The Cover EP, released March
1, 2001, was the first of many things; my first solo album, the first
Manifesters release, the first CD of mine sold at shows and in stores, and the
first installment of a music catalogue now over forty five projects strong. Back
then, one could easily list off the cluster of Hip Hop artists doing things on
the scene in the Twin Cities (unlike today were there appears to be
hundreds).There was essentially; open
mics, cyphers, small shows, big shows and opening up for national artists. And
for some reason, even to this day I’m not sure why, having an album was the
unwritten criteria to move an artist from the open mics, cyphers and small
shows to the bigger shows and opening slots for national acts. Whatever the
reason, that was just the “rule” at the time and thus, it was a driving force
for this record. In mid-2000, Manifesters was undergoing some roster changes
and so the prospect of a Manifesters album was a ways out. I had become a
staple at Minneapolis open mics and a regular in cyphers all around the Twin
Cities. I was performing sets with C.L. and the Low Down during slots C.L. was
booked for, and Manifesters (as Mesia and I, or Mesia, NiiBox and I) were
rocking smaller shows, usually as the opening act. So not only did I want an album,
but we kind of needed one to propel us to the next level.

I
had worked and collaborated with Big Jess on two guest features I had on
Gamble’s Realities of Life album
that year, and had performed at shows at which the Unknown Prophets were also
playing, or headlining. And so Big Jess, being the utterly awesome guy that he
is, took me under his wing and produced Beneath The Cover for me. Not only did
he supply some incredible beats, but because this was my very first project in
the studio, he also played the role of in-studio producer. While it was evident
I still needed some work developing my voice and presence in the booth, the
beats were astounding, my rhymes and topics were on point, and the little extra
added flavors and guest appearances rounded out what became a very solid debut
album. The peer, fan, and media reviews were good. It was a project I was
extremely proud of. The album served its intended purpose of providing
Manifesters with new, all-original material with which we could get bigger and
better gigs off of. And that we did! In fact, less than two months after the
release, Manifesters opened up for Mos Def and Mystic (with Digital
Underground) for a sold-out crowd at The Quest. Additionally, the project
sparked a fantastic working relationship between myself and Big Jess. Its
sixteen years later and Jess is still producing unbelievably dope beats for me
as well as engineering, mixing and mastering all of my recordings. All in all,
it was the perfect way to introduce my music to the world.

We
did one pressing of Beneath The Cover
(around 1,200 CDs), which have long since sold out. In November of 2010, it was
re-released, digitally, for a limited time on Manifesters’ BandCamp site. Since
I didn’t do anything big for the 15th anniversary last year, I’ve
decided to do another digital release of the EP. So, from today, March 1st,
through this coming Sunday, March 5th, Beneath The Cover will be available for download at https://versifier.bandcamp.com/album/beneath-the-cover-ep